Paul Millsap named to third straight All-Star Game

Paul Millsap earned his third straight NBA All-Star Game selection with the Atlanta Hawks, as the NBA head coaches recognized his strong first half of the 2015-16 NBA season.

Paul Millsap will represent the Atlanta Hawks in the 2016 NBA All-Star Game, as the NBA head coaches voted him in as one of the seven reserves for the Eastern Conference. This is Paul Millsap’s third All-Star Game of his NBA career and his third straight since joining the Atlanta Hawks for the 2013-14.

While Millsap is the lone Atlanta Hawk to make the NBA All-Star Game in Toronto, his teammate Al Horford could stand as a potential replacement for an injured big man in the East should anything happen to somebody on the All-Star team from now until the game at the Air Canada Centre on Sunday, February 14th, Valentine’s Day.

Millsap was one of seven reserves for the Eastern Conference announced Thursday night along with Toronto Raptors shooting guard DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls shooting guard Jimmy Butler, Boston Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas, Washington Wizards point guard John Wall, Miami Heat power forward Chris Bosh, and Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond.

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Those seven join the East starters of Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry, Miami Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade, Indiana Pacers small forward Paul George, New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony, and Cleveland Cavaliers point forward LeBron James.

All 12 men to make the Eastern Conference All-Stars were certainly deserving. It was largely expected that since the All-Star Game is in Toronto that the surging Raptors would have both members of their backcourt duo make the game. It’s the first time that Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan will be on the same All-Star team, as Lowry made his first last year and DeRozan made his first two years ago.

Besides Al Horford, the other big snub for the Eastern Conference was the Chicago Bulls power forward Pau Gasol, who like Horford has a legitimate argument to make the All-Star Game. In all honesty, there isn’t a Kobe Bryant type of player that is occupying an All-Star Game roster spot from a more deserving player in the East. The most likely go to do that this year would have been Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving who could have won the fan vote despite not playing until recently.

Next: Atlanta Hawks: Eastern Conference Power Rankings, Jan. 28

Overall, it’s great to see an all-around player at power forward like Paul Millsap make the All-Star Game. It perhaps means more that the coaches in the league voted him in as opposed to the fan vote, as the league’s head coaches know how difficult he is to game plan for every time their teams play the Atlanta Hawks. Congratulations, Paul Millsap and Go Hawks!